James Neale, who ran the White Horse in South Lopham, Norfolk, for six years, announced the closure on social media, describing it as a message he had been “dreading writing for months”.
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He said: “After a year of doing everything I possibly could to keep the pub going through incredibly tough economic times, I’ve reached the point where I have to say, ‘I’ve tried everything I can, but I can’t carry on any longer.’”
Neale said running the White Horse had been “one of the greatest privileges” of his life and thanked staff and customers for their support.
He added: “To my amazing team, both past and present, thank you. Every one of you has worked tirelessly, shown incredible dedication, and played a huge part in making the White Horse the special place it became.
“And to every customer who came through our doors, whether you visited once or became part of our family, thank you.”
Historical pub
The pub, which local reports said has more than 300 years of history, had been operated by Neale alongside manager Jodie Colson.
In a separate post, Neale said last week had been “incredibly tough” and that he was now looking to focus more time on photography, video and content creation through his business.
The closure comes amid continued pressure on pubs, with recent British Beer & Pub Association figures showing 161 pubs closed in Britain during the first three months of the year, equating to almost two a day.
Meanwhile, recent survey data from UKHospitality, the BBPA, the British Institute of Innkeeping and Hospitality Ulster found one in six hospitality businesses said they were at risk of failure within the next 12 months.
